“Don’t call me Cocoa Puff!” cried Coco. Her blue eyes had filled up. She stroked her wounded hair.
“So what if it gets dark?” said Brian to Ollie. “Way smarter to stay inside, in one place. Someone will come tonight. But the woods will be cold—you could get lost, break an ankle, fall into the river. Don’t be dumb.”
Ollie knew the same things Brian knew, about what could happen to someone alone in a forest at night. He saw her hesitate. “Okay, now you’re getting it,” he said. “Come back to the bus. They’re all in there saying you’ve lost it, but I don’t believe it. Come back to the bus.”
Ollie looked down at her watch. 18:03.RUN. The word still wavered under the watch’s cracked face. “No,” she said to Brian. “We have to go. Now.” She headed for the woods again.
“You stay here,” added Coco to Brian, shrill. She hurried after Ollie. Mist curled around the first of the tree trunks, crept softly up the road. Brian stood where they’d left him.
Ollie paused between the first of the tree trunks, turned back. “I think you should come with us, Brian.Best get moving,the bus driver said. I think something bad is going to happen.”
Brian just stared at her like he’d never heard anything so ridiculous. The sky was the color of a wet slate roofnow. Shadows seemed to be creeping out from the trees, creeping out to the noisy bus.
The driver was staring right at them out the driver’s-side window, his eyes round and blank as marbles. Ollie shrank instinctively into the shadow of the trees. The driver, unsmiling, pointed once to the forest at their backs.
“Come on,” Ollie whispered to Coco. “We need to go.”
13
COCO DARTED INTOthe trees after Ollie. The forest seemed to close around them like the bars of a cage. “I’m glad Brian didn’t come,” panted Coco. “He’s just a—lump.”
Ollie thought of Coco’s notebook the day before, the two faces nestled in the perfectly shaped heart, but she didn’t say anything. Coco tripped over a root and would have gone sprawling, but Ollie caught her, barely.
“You pair of idiots,” said Brian, marching up behind them.
Both girls spun, still clutching each other. “I’m just following you because you’re both crazy,” he added. “Someone has to make sure you don’t fall into the creek and die. I’ll probably get a medal for it. They’ll make me an Eagle Scout.”
“We didn’t ask you,” said Coco coldly. Then she tripped again.
Brian snorted. “Only because you’re complete idiots. At least City Girl here has an excuse. But you, Ollie—”
“I’m nuts, remember?” said Ollie. “Everyone says so.” She quickened her pace. Some blind instinct lifted the hairs on her arms and urged her on. Coco seemed to feel it too, for she hurried along right behind.
Brian muttered, “Geez, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” and followed.
The path was narrow and winding, and ribbed with roots. Coco, less used to moving outdoors, kept tripping. The third time Coco lurched forward and nearly sent Ollie to the ground, she snapped, “Could younot?”
“Sorry,” Coco said, wilting.
“Well, at least we won’t gettoofar from the bus before one of you breaks an ankle,” Brian said.
Ollie ignored him.
“Why do you have to be so mean?” Coco demanded of Brian.
“Mean? Are you talking about the part where I saved your lives because you ran off into a strange forest after dark?” Brian snapped back.
Coco ground her teeth. “You’re just—full of yourself!”
Brian had his mouth open on a retort, but Ollie said, “Shut up, both of you. Either I’ve lost it or something’s wrong. Honestly, I hope I’m crazy. But if I’m not, could we not letthe entire forestknow that we’re here?”
Brian rolled his eyes, but stopped talking. Coco fell instantly quiet and tiptoed along in Ollie’s wake. Ollie supposed they were trying to be quiet, but Coco made a lot of noise snapping sticks and even Brian wasn’t as quiet as Ollie, who had spent years mushrooming with her mother in all kinds of terrain and weather. It would be hard to hide with this crew. Ollie wished her mom were there. She glanced once at her watch with its flickering warning. 15:56. How did her watch know?
Trees rattled overhead, masking the sound of their footsteps. The cold leaves were slimy underfoot. Coco tripped again and caught Ollie’s backpack to keep herself from falling. Ollie windmilled her arms, barely keeping her own balance. She glared at Coco.Sorry,Coco mouthed.
Brian walked behind them grumpily. “You don’t even know where you’re going,” he said, although he didn’t talk as loud as before.
“Ollie does!” snapped Coco.
